[Traffic accident injuries in Tessin Canton in 1982 and 1985--epidemiology, surgery and socioeconomic aspects].

In the paper we present the result of an epidemiological study we conducted upon injuries due to road accidents in Canton Ticino. We reviewed 1471 injured patients during two periods: in 1982 we examined all patients evaluated in the Emergency Room and admitted - if required - in all the Canton Ticino Hospitals. In 1985 we reviewed only patients seen at Ospedale Civico Lugano and patients seen by the police department (SIR) because the lesions were life-threatening. 106 (8%) patients died, 206 (15%) were seriously injured (87 patients with chronic infirmity) and 1062 had slight injuries. The total lesions were 2900 and 839 surgical operations were necessary. These patients needed a 7804 days of hospitalization (677 days in the intensive care unit). Motorcycles represented 46.5% of the involved vehicles. The major risk groups by age are: 14-17 years old (motorcyclist), 18-29 years old (automobilists and motorcyclists), up to 13 and over 60 years of age (pedestrians). The percentage of the total road accidents which occur at the week-end is of 49.4%. At rush/hours (5.00 pm) the percentage of accident is 8.1% (115 accidents) and in the early morning hours the percentage is 5.5% (74 accidents). The annual hospitalization costs amounted to 3,200,000 sFr., whereas the real costs corresponding to production loss, social expenditures (25.737 were the days of disability) and in- and out patient care are as high as 100 million francs.